fall flower show

The Seaside Goldenrod is coming into bloom making one of the most colorful natural floral displays that we have. As I've discussed before, goldenrod is a much maligned plant because it blooms at the same time as ragweed; since the ragweed has almost invisible green flowers and the goldenrod (especially Seaside Goldenrod) has brilliant yellow colors on the gold side of the spectrum), the goldenrod gets blamed unjustly for ragweed hayfever. The color, of course, should give it away. Goldenrod is colorful because it is insect polllinated; ragweed is not colorful because it is wind pollinated and it is the wind-blown pollen that causes the hayfever. I know because I had it for years (seemed to have outgrown it though). Other plants in bloom right now include Pearly Everlasting, Groundsel (Baccharis), thistle (sp?), Clematis and an aster-like low plant blooming all over the dunes at Smith Point (one of the Golden Asters?). Monarch Butterflies are coming in in some numbers (a few down here; many more on the beach); a hopeful sign. As the weather turns warm and sunny again, there are many dragonflies in flight but it's a tough job to ID them. Eric Salzman